Prodigal Boxer
AKA: Kung Fu: The Punch of Death, Kung Fu Punch of Death, The Prodigal Boxer: The Kick of Death
1973
Director: Chai Ying Min
Stars: Meng Fei, Maggie Lee, Yausaki Kurata
This is another in the long line of movies based on Chinese folk hero Fong Sai Yuk, with Meng Fei portraying the fighter this time out. Sai Yuk's father is killed by a pair of evil kung fu masters, and when he tries to get revenge, his poor skills lead to humilation. Retreating to the countryside, Sai Yuk begins training with his mother (Maggie Lee) until he is good enough to exact revenge.
A lot of people have called this film a classic, but it didn't really flip my switch. Maybe it was due to the poor dubbing in the version I watched, but I really didn't care at all for Meng Fei. He comes off as too whiny to be a hero, and frankly he's so scrawny, I didn't buy him as someone able to beat a lot of ass either.
But I will give credit where it's due -- the fights in here are very good for the most part, especially the finale, which leads to inventive and bloody ends for the villains. It's good stuff, but not that great as to forget the crud along the way. Prodigal Boxer is recommended for old school fans -- but don't hurt yourself running to the video store to get it.
RATING: 6
A review for the DVD of this movie can be found here